'They cannot do simple algebra': US investor says H1B visa holders with no skills get high paying jobs

The claim received mixed responses

Lauren Balik, an US investor and founder of Upright Analytics, recently made waves on the internet by claiming on her X post that H1B visa holders didn't have the skills to solve a simple algebra problem.

“I have literally made people solve: ‘5(x) + 2 = 12, what is x?‘ in job interviews and most people fail it. CMOs, data engineers, analysts, etc. It’s all one big make-work program we’ve been in since the relational database was released in the 1970s. All H-1Bs fail 100 per cent of the time but allegedly they are the world’s math and database and IT experts and allegedly this is ‘skilled’ employment,” she said.

She also claimed that the experience and credentials of applicants are often bogus. “I have done this test many times on people. If you can solve the test you can get a $100,000 per year or higher job in the United States of America, plus health insurance and benefits and we'll even help you find a house if you need it, and these people come in with fat resumes and tons of 'job experience' that came from...somewhere.“ she said in a continuation of her tweet.

These remarks are in line with the sentiments of various people that have called for the curtailment of the program. There are significantly differing opinions on the H1B visa among the supporters and members of the Republican party, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk being heavily in favour of the program. Trump has made a complete U-turn regarding his sentiments about the H1-B visa in his current term compared to his opinions during his previous term where he was heavily against the programme.

The X post by Balik received mixed responses with some finding it hard to believe that someone would be unable to solve an equation as easy as that and others accusing Balik of racism.

User Amitosh Swain Mahapatra responded, “x = racism. To even get selected for a company that sponsors H1B, you have to solve problems much tougher than High School math. 100% of H1B holders absolutely can.”

A second user responded, calling her statements “absurd” and further added “I’ve worked with plenty of H-1B folks and they are all skilled in STEM and highly motivated.”

It must also be noted that Lauren Balik has not provided any evidence of her claims. There are no statistics or other empirical evidence to prove her point and her X post continues to generate reactions ranging from discussions about workplace discrimination, visa policies and math skills.